How to Make a Solar Heater Out of Soda Cans
- 1). Fit the plywood on to the back of the old window frame and nail it in place using the nail gun.
- 2). Drill holes into the bottom of the soda cans using a drill press and a ¾ inch bit. Select five of the cans and drill holes in the side at the bottom, rather than underneath. These cans will be the bottom of each can column.
- 3). Caulk around the edges of the window frame and plywood backing to create a tight seal. Allow caulk to dry.
- 4). Drill one hole slightly larger than the vacuum hose into the top of the window frame. Drill an additional hole into the bottom of the window frame.
- 5). Begin stacking cans inside of the window frame. Create five columns of cans, ten cans high, inside the window box. Place the cans with the holes on the side on the bottom of the frame. Adhere the cans in place using adhesive caulk. Allow the caulk to dry.
- 6). Paint all of the cans black. Allow the paint to dry. After everything is dry, place the window glass or plexiglass over the frame and seal in place with caulk.
- 7). Fit a wet dry vacuum hose into the hole at the bottom of the solar panel. This hose will feed air into the solar panel. Attach the second hose to the top hole, which will push hot air into the space. Place the finished panel in an area with a lot of sunlight. Direct the output (top) hose into the space where heat is desired. This solar panel works on the principle of hot air rising. Air enters the solar panel and is heated by the cans which have absorbed solar energy. As the air heats up it is pushed through more of the cans and finally out of the output hose. This simple solar panel requires no additional power.
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